Yesterday, a heavily armed group of soldiers (wearing police uniforms) responded to a call from an ambulance attendant who had seen a knife in the hands of a man. He was mentally ill.
When they arrived, they were refused entry to the apartment, so they climbed a ladder to the balcony. Here’s what happened.
https://twitter.com/UsmanS721/status/1274516281199415296
I have no context, other than media reports, but what I saw on the balcony was clear. Six seconds after they kicked the door open, police opened fire with lethal results. Apparently, Mr Choudry was holding a knife when they kicked the door open.
Three seconds before a firearm was used, one officer appears to discharge a taser. Another fires “rubber bullets” at the same time. Three seconds later, a service weapon is discharged, killing Mr Choudry.
Threat neutralized.
There was no reason for that officer to use lethal force, at least not at that point. The soldiers had a superior tactical position, were armed to the teeth and could easily have contained the situation by closing the door and waiting him out. Or even just waiting him out without kicking in the door. Instead, they acted like soldiers, and neutralized the threat.
I do wish police in Canada would stop executing mentally ill people. It’s really starting to piss me off.
It might start with actual consequences for police who do. The SIU is investigating. They even have a page where you can check the status of any investigation into police wrongdoing in Ontario. A little browsing should convince you that police are rarely charged. There is no information on convictions, but those appear to be rare. Especially when someone dies at the hands of police.
“Wellness check”=”SWATting”
Hamilton Slumlords 